Kirjahaku

The snow of the dying century still lay on the edge of the dark forest when Lajos von Lázár, the translucent child with water-blue eyes, first glimpsed the man he would believe to be his father for his whole life and beyond.LÁZÁR tells the story of a noble Hungarian family and their decline over several generations, taking us from the beginning of the 20th century through the Nazi and Soviet eras to the Hungarian national uprising in 1956. It is an astonishingly self-confident, clever novel and Nelio Biedermann demonstrates himself to be psychologically sensitive and brilliant storyteller at the age of 21. A fresh voice from a new generation looking at history through a different lens and telling it in a way that feels both modern and timeless. The novel, with its nods to One Hundred Years of Solitude and Buddenbrooks, is a highly impressive work for an author of any age - and promises much more to come.Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch

Inspired by the author's own family story, L z r is a gothic intergenerational family saga with a touch of magic following an aristocratic Hungarian family over several generations--perfect for readers of Kazuo Ishiguro and One Hundred Years of Solitude. The L z rs are a noble Hungarian family who spend their time between their rural summer estate, the "Waldschloss"--surrounded by menacingly dark, fairytale-like woods--and a glittering winter castle in the city. Lajos von L z r is the youngest child and only son, who looks nothing like the rest of his family with his light blue eyes and translucent skin. Feeling a constant divide between himself and others, he is only able to truly connect with his uncle, whose otherworldly foresight is often confused for insanity. As the decades go by, the L z rs repeatedly fall prey to their own desires, leading to a family history steeped in tragedy and recurring trauma. But time and again, in the lighter years, great love and hope shine through. Masterfully written and deeply haunting, L z r is an astonishingly self-confident, clever novel, and Nelio Biedermann is a brilliant storyteller, a fresh voice of a new generation looking at history through a different lens and telling it in a way that feels both modern and timeless.

"A truly great writer steps onto the stage" Daniel Kehlmann The snow of the dying century still lay on the edge of the dark forest when Lajos von Lazar, the translucent child with water-blue eyes, first glimpsed the man he would believe to be his father for his whole life and beyond. Lajos von Lazar is brought into this world with the dawn of the new century, and his birth is both a miracle and a curse, his true patrimony a secret he will never know. The Lazars have ruled their Hungarian lands for generations. In their ancient castle by the edge of a dark forest that compels all who enter it to madness, they succumb to every vice and live only to satiate their desires. But the old order is crumbling, and the days of the Hapsburg Monarchy are numbered. When Lajos inherits, they at last have a baron who can reignite the old splendours, but not even his abilities are proof against the ravages of war and occupation. It will fall to his children - a boy who talks to shadows and a girl who eschews her blue blood - to find a way to stand against oppression and take the first faltering steps towards freedom. A sweeping epic, taking the reader from the beginning of the twentieth century to the Hungarian National Uprising of 1956, Lazar would be a phenomenal achievement for a writer of any age. With its air of timeless wisdom, it reads like rediscovered classic, making it all the more remarkable that it was written when the author was just twenty-one years old. Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch

Nelio Biedermann (f. 2003) har tatt tyske romanlesere med storm. Hans roman Lázár er trykket i 175.000 eksemplarer og har vunnet Tysklands svar på den norske bokhandlerprisen. Boken oversettes til 23 språk. Alt begynner da Lajos von Lázár, det blonde barnet med den gjennomsiktige huden og de vassblå øynene, kommer til verden. Hans far, baronen, føler seg ikke trygg på ham, som om han fornemmer hemmeligheten sønnen bærer på. Med Lajos' fødsel i skogslottet innledes også det 20. århundret, som for alltid skal forandre livet til den ungarske adelsslekten Lázár. Habsburg-imperiets undergang berører først bare familietradisjonene, men etter hvert rusker tidens stormvinder i alle, også den vakre Mária og den spøkelsesaktige onkel Imre. Da Lajos arver formuen i 1920-årene, ser det en stund ut til at familien kommer til heder og ære igjen. Men barna Eva og Pista må snart belage seg på at en ny, totalitær tid er i anmarsj, og lære seg å slå tilbake mot undertrykkende krefter. Sensasjonsboken Lázár av 22 år gamle Nelio Biedermann forteller om tre generasjoner i en familie som er drevet av kjærlighet og lengsler, men som blir ført av sted i det 20. århundrets malstrøm. Det er en medrivende roman som speiler drøm og virkelighet, mørket og lyset. Men mest av alt handler Lázár om det evige spørsmålet om hvordan man skal leve sitt liv. «Hans fengslende familiesaga tar verden med storm … du vil bli revet med av det blendende språket … en førsteklasses pageturner.» Süddeutsche Zeitung